Pre-filled helium/air balloons in a container

ABSTRACT

This invention is a container which contains pre-filled and compressed helium or air filled balloons. When the lid is removed from the container the balloons quickly come out of the container and expand to their much larger size under normal atmospheric pressure. Containers containing hundreds of balloons could be taken to large events to be released. This invention makes it unnecessary to spend many hours inflating hundreds of balloons for release at large events, and also eliminates the difficulty of containing them under (or in) nets using large areas of space. The containers could also be small, containing just a few balloons suitable as gifts or novelty.

This Specification claims priority of Provisional application for Patent, USPTO Ser. No. 60493634, filed Aug. 18, 2003.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Application for Patent. USPTO Ser. No. 60496334, filed Aug. 18, 2003.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

“NOT APPLICABLE”

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE FOR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

“NOT APPLICABLE”

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to devices which when opened, or in some way activated, present within a short time a filly inflated balloon.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Prior art of devices made for presenting an inflated balloon have used some type of device for inflating the balloon after the device has been opened or in some way activated. In the present invention the balloons have been pre-filled with air or helium prior to being put (compacted) into the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,171 B1 Watts contains a compressed gas cylinder and a deflated balloon in a box. When the box is opened the balloon is automatically inflated with the gas from the compressed gas cylinder.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,122 Slater is a small container containing a deflated balloon and a high pressure gas container.

Numerous other patents consist of deflated balloons inside of some sort of container, which are inflated upon opening of the container or activated in some way, including, U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,449 Sloan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,726 Dahan., U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,771 Tyner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,674 Shaeffer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,958 DiCarlo et al. The present invention is different from the above mentioned patents in that the balloons are pre-filled, then compressed under pressure, and then put into the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a container filled with pre-filled and compressed helium or air balloons. The balloons are filled with either helium or air and put into a tank with an opening at the top and bottom. In the case of air filled balloons they are put into the tank through the top opening of the tank and the bottom opening is closed firmly shut. When the tank has been filled with balloons, the top opening is tightly closed. The tank is then pressurized to shrink the diameter of the balloons in the tank. After having been completely pressurized the bottom opening of the tank is opened. The balloons drop through an airtight transfer chamber and into a container tightly affixed to the bottom of the transfer chamber. After the compressed balloons have dropped into the container, the top of the container if fitted with an airtight cover by a mechanical arm within the transfer chamber. After the cover to the container has been firmly fitted the container can be taken away from the transfer chamber.

For containers filled with compressed helium balloons the process of filling the container would be similar. For helium balloons the balloons would go into the compression tank from the bottom end, and the transfer chamber and container for the balloons would be at the top of the tank since in the process the balloons would be rising up rather than dropping down.

The containers with the compressed balloons inside could be either small with just one or a few balloons or it could be a large container for any large number of balloons, even as many as hundreds. Containers containing just a few balloons would be suitable as a gift or low cost novelty. Containers containing hundreds of balloons would be most suitable for the release of balloons at large events such as sporting events, celebrations, conferences, etc. Containers with large numbers of “air” balloons would be opened from ceilings or other high up areas in arenas, auditoriums, etc., and containers with large numbers of “helium” balloons would be opened most often from ground level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the first step in putting compressed air balloons into a container.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating compression of air balloons and allowing them to drop into the container that they will later be released from.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing all of the compressed balloons having droped into the receiving container and then sealed shut with a lid to keep the compressed balloons in the container.

FIG. 4 shows the container removed from below the compression tank and transfer chamber.

FIG. 5 illustrates a container of compressed air balloons being situated in an area above (such as a high ceiling) and the lid removed allowing the balloons to drop out of the container and expand back to their natural diameter outside of the confinement of the container.

FIG. 6 illustrates a container of compressed helium balloons being situated at ground level and the lid having been removed allowing the balloons to rise up out of the container and expand back to their natural diameter outside of the confinement of the container.

FIG. 7 illustrates how helium filled balloons would be allowed to rise up into the compression tank as opposed to dropping into the tank as with air filled balloons.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is pre-filled and compressed air or helium filled balloons in a container. In the description below I begin with illustrating a process for compressing air filled balloons and putting them into a container.

In FIG. 1 air filled balloons 1 are dropped into a large tank 4 through a hole in the top of the tank 3. At the bottom of the tank is a hole 6 which is currently sealed shut with a lid 5.

In FIG. 2 after the tank 4 has been filled with balloons a lid 2 is brought down onto the hole at the top of the tank 3, and the tank is then pressurized. As the tank is pressurized the balloons shrink in size. The lid 5 on the bottom hole of the tank 6 is then removed from the hole on the bottom of the tank 6, and the compressed balloons drop down through an air tight chamber 8 and into a container 9.

In FIG. 3 after all of the compressed balloons 1 have dropped into the container 9 a lid 7 is brought down onto the container 9 and firmly sealed.

In FIG. 4 the container 9 filled with the compressed balloons 1 is taken away from the transfer chamber 8 and ready to be transported to a sporting event, celebration, festival, etc.

In FIG. 5 the container 9 is placed in a high place such as the ceiling of an arena, auditorium, etc., and at a given time the lid is removed and the balloons 1 drop from the container, and expand to there much larger diameter under normal atmospheric pressure.

In FIG. 6 compressed helium balloons 10 are contained in the container 9. The container 9 is placed at a low level, and upon removing the lid the balloons 10 rise up out of the container 9, and expand to their much larger diameter under normal atmospheric pressure.

In FIG. 7 a process for compressing helium filled balloons and putting them into a container is shown. Very similar to the process used with air filled balloons 1 except that the helium filled balloons 10 are placed into the large compression tank 4 by allowing them to rise up into it rather than dropping down into it. After the helium balloons 10 have been compressed in the compression tank 4 they are allowed to rise up through the transfer chamber 8 and into the container 9. After all of the compressed helium balloons 10 have risen up into the container 9 the container 9 is sealed shut with a lid 7 and ready to be removed and transported.

The containers for the air filled or helium filled balloons can range in size from very large to very small depending on the number of compressed balloons it is to contain. In the case of very small containers containing even as few as one balloon the process of compressing the balloons and putting them into a container would be, in principle, the same as for compressing and putting large numbers of balloons into a container. 

1. a container containing pre-filled and compressed helium or air filled balloons consisting of: a) a container made of a strong material such as steel or hard plastic capable of withstanding significant internal pressure within said container. b) a lid for said container which can be sealed tightly, yet easily removed, on said container, and capable of withstanding significant internal pressure within said container. c) balloons in said contain, which have been pre-filled with either helium or air, and compressed under pressure. d) size of said container ranging in size from large enough to contain numerous hundreds of said compressed helium or air filled balloons, or as small as what would be required to contain just a few, or even just one, said compressed helium or air filled balloons. 